Xbox One and PlayStation 4 Could Become Set-Top Boxes for Cable TV

If you can remember way back when the Xbox One was first revealed, Microsoft wanted their console to become the all-encompassing entertainment system. This would include allowing your console working as a “Set-Top Box” for your television.

It appears that while Xbox may have left this idea in the past with the refocus on games, the FCC are looking to the power of consoles and other devices. Their view is that the rules around the cable boxes should be relaxed and the market should be opened up more:

“If you’ve ever signed up for a $99-a-month bundle for cable, phone and Internet and then wondered why your bill is significantly higher, this is a big reason. Even when the company has recovered the cost of the box, you must continue to pay for it. Altogether, U.S. consumers spend a whopping $20 billion a year to lease these devices. In fact, according to a recent analysis, over the past 20 years the cost of cable set-top boxes has risen 185 percent while the cost of computers, televisions and mobile phones has dropped by 90 percent.

It doesn’t have to be this way.”

This in theory is a good thing, especially with the power of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. These devices should easily be able to handle working as cable boxes and provide DVR style functionality. Most importantly this would not get in the way of the consoles being games machines.

What is interesting about these FCC proposals though is the fact that it does look back to the plans Microsoft once had, even if gamers did not welcome the idea of the original Xbox One “entertainment” machine. Will these ideas resurface once more?

Let us know your thoughts on this news. Would you like to use your console as a DVR like system?